Paddle



March 26, 1940. H. J. MAIHACK PADDLE Filed April 29, 1939 Patented Mar. 26, 1940 UNITED STATES PADDLE Herman J. Maihack lersey City, N. J., assignmof forty per cent to George H. Hutafl, Jr., Wilmington, N. C.

Application April 29, 1939, Serial No. 270,839

2 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a paddle or bat for bouncing and catching balls, the principal object of the invention residing in the provision of a paddle or bat having an opening therein of a size to permit a ball to pass therethrough and to be received in a pocket or cage secured to one face of the paddle or bat in back of theopening, the pocket or cage being closed at one end and open at the opposite 10 end, the open end being directed towards the handle of the paddle or bat so that the ball may roll from the pocket or cage and over a portion of the surface of the paddle or bat and be discharged to the ground or other surface from which it bounces to be struck by the paddle or bat.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a paddle or bat of the character de: scribed having an opening therein of a size to permit a ball to pass therethrough, said opening being positioned to provide a relatively large surface for contacting the ball while batting or bouncing the same, it being an object of the batter to bounce the ball against a suitable surface and then endeavor to position the paddle 25 or bat so that the ball will pass through the opening and be received in a pocket or cage connected to the paddle or bat in back of the opening, after which it is permitted to fall from the pocket or cage onto a suitable surface from which it bounces and may again be struck by the paddle or bat.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the novel details of construction and arrangement of parts, described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, as they now appear to me, it will be understood that such changes may be made as will fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a perspective showing the paddle or bat with the ball positioned to pass through the opening therein.-

Fig. 2 is a perspective showing the opposite face of the paddle or bat with the ball rolling from the pocket or cage in which the ball has been received through the opening in the paddle or bat.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the front face of the paddle or bat.

Fig. 4 is a plan of the rear face of the paddle or bat.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawing A indicates generally the paddle or bat for bouncing the ball shown at B. The paddle or bat includes what might be termed the body portion or ball-engaging surface I and the handle portion 2, the body portion or ball-engaging surface I having an opening 3 therein of a 10 size to permit the ball B to pass therethrough.

A pocket or cage 4 is positioned in back of the opening 3 and is secured to one face of the paddle or bat by means of the nails, screws or other suitable fastenings 5 which pass through the lugs 6 which project outwardly from the pocket or cage. As is shown, the pocket or .cage is of elongated formation with one end closed, as shown at I, and the opposite end open, as shown at 8, this open end being directed towards the handle portion of the paddle or bat, as is shown more particularly in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing and for a purpose which will be later brought out. Preferably the pocket or cage is formed of sheet metal but it will be understood that, when desired, it might be formed of other light material.

I am aware that it is not new to provide a paddle or bat for bouncing a ball and I am further aware that paddles or bats have been provided with receptacles for receiving a ball. However, so far as I know it is new with me to provide a paddle or bat having an opening therein and the pocket or cage positioned in back of the opening to receive the ball which may pass through the opening, the pocket or cage being of a formation and positioned so that by positioning the paddle or bat the ball may roll from the pocket or cage, over a surface of the paddle or bat, and be discharged onto the ground or other surface to be again struck and bounced from the paddle or bat. In carrying out my invention, initially the ball may be struck by the paddle or bat and bounced against a suitable object from which it will rebound. As shown the paddle or bat will be grasped by the hand of the operator, shown at C, and it will involve skill to position the bat or paddle so that as the ball rebounds from an object it may pass through the opening 3 and be received in the pocket or cage 4. With the end of the paddle or bat directed downwardly, as shown in Fig. l, the ball will be maintained in the pocket or cage, but when the position of the paddle or bat is as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing the ball will roll over the surface of the paddle or bat, towards the handle portion 2 and will be discharged onto the ground or other surface from which it will bounce and may be again hit by the paddle or bat. Considerable amusement may be aflorded the player and at the same time skill will be required to permit the ball to pass through the opening 3' to be received in the pocket or cage 4 and to then be discharged from the pocket or cage onto a suitable surface to be again bounced or batted.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A ball paddle including a body or ball-enga ing portion and a handle portion, the body or ball-engaging portion having an opening of a size to permit a bail to pass therethrough, and a member secured to one face of the paddle to receive the ball through the opening, said member having a portion extending over the opening in a position to he engaged by the ball after it has passed through the opening, the member also having a closed end and an open end directed towards the handle, the ball being discharged from the member through the open end thereof ov'er'the surface of the paddle in a direction towards the handle portion thereof.

2. A ball paddle including a body or ball-engaging portion and a handle portion, the body or ball-engaging portion having an opening of a size to permit a, ball to pass therethrough, and an elongated member secured to one face of the paddle to receive the ball through the opening, said member having a portion extending over the opening in a position to be engaged by the ball after it has passed through the opening, the member also having a closed end and an open end directed towards the handle, the ball being discharged from the member through the open end thereof over the surface of the paddle in a direction towards the handle portion thereof.

HERMAN J. MAIHACK. 

